Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 14 Article 1 Issue 4 December
2000 Necker Island, Hawai'i: Astronomical Implications of an Island Located on the Tropic of Cancer William Liller Vina del Mar, Chile
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Recommended Citation Liller, William (2000) "Necker Island, Hawai'i: Astronomical Implications of an Island Located on the Tropic of Cancer," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 14 : Iss. 4 , Article 1. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol14/iss4/1
This Research Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Hawai`i Press at Kahualike. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation by an authorized editor of Kahualike. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Liller: Necker Island, Hawai'i
Necker Island, Hawai'i: Astronomical Implications ofan Island Located on the Tropic ofCancer
William Liller Vifia del Mar, Chile
STRETCHING OUT BEYOND THE MAJOR ISLANDS of Hawai'i all When Captain Cook discovered the major Hawaiian Is the way to Midway and the Kure Atoll lie the Northwestern Ha lands in 1778, he had no knowledge of the existence of the waiian Islands made up of a number of rocky islets, reefs and Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. After Cook and several of his atolls. One must travel some 240 kilometers west-northwest of men were killed on the island of Hawaii early in 1779, western Kaua'i before coming to the fIrst island in this Hawaiian chain, ships avoided the islands for several years, but by 1785, they little Nihoa, and then it is another 280 km on to the next, even had become way stations in the developing commerce between smaller island, Necker (Figure 1). According to the Atlas ofHa Asia and the Americas. Like most of the outlying islands, waii, the area of the larger of the two, Nihoa, is 77.2 hectares Necker and Nihoa were discovered accidentally by merchant (190 acres) or just over three-quarters of a square kilometer. men trading between Canton and the PacifIc Northwest. (For comparison, Easter Island measures 17,700 hectares.) Ni The Atlas ofHawaii goes on to say that "...a Tahitian-like hoa's maximum elevation is 277 meters. Even smaller Necker culture, isolated from the rest ofHawaii, once existed on Nihoa measures 23.6 hectares (58 acres) and reaches only 84 meters and Necker". Kenneth Emory, who investigated the two islands above sea level. Both are included in the Hawaiian Islands Na in 1924, pointed out that the ancient religious structures that he tional Wildlife Refuge established by President Theodore Roo found there resembled more closely the religious temples of Ta sevelt in 1909 and now are under the management of the Fish hiti than the corresponding structures on the main Hawaiian Is and Wildlife Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior. lands (Emory 1928). It would seem, therefore, that Tahitians Both are fully closed to the public. The Atlas ofHawaii states or possibly Marquesans-frrst landed on these islands perhaps a that"...only the relatively inaccessible island of Nihoa retains thousand years ago unaware of the existence of the larger is much of its endemic biota in spite of extensive terracing by an lands to the south. cient Polynesian settlers." Nihoa, an Hawaiian word meaning Besides the undisturbed terracing recorded on Nihoa, two "jagged", is a fItting name for the island, while the name Necker rectangularly shaped, contiguous marae on Nihoa were discov presumably comes from the name of the ship or the crew mem ered there by Emory (1928), both oriented "approximately ber who fIrst sighted it. north-south". It should be noted that he chose to use the word
0 0 170 160
• Laysan
La Perouse Pinnacles'1 • Necker Tropic of Cancer 0 • ------~_:------2334.1 ------• Nihoa
Kaua'ie Ni'ihaul Kaula' O'ahu' Moloka'i Lana'i'..~ Maui Kaho'olawe • 0 Hawai'i~ 20
Figure I. Map showing the location ofNihoa and Necker with respect to the well-known Hawaiian Islands and the Tropic of Cancer lo- cated in latitude as it is at the present time. About 1000 years ago the tropic passed directly over Necker. '
Rapa Nui Journal 103 Vol. 14 (4) December 2000 Published by Kahualike, 2000 1 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 14 [2000], Iss. 4, Art. 1
N 1
0 100' 500' 1000' , , ! I
Figure 2. Map ofNecker Island showing position of archaeological sites: 1-34, sites ofreligious structures; A-O, sites ofother structures. (from Emory, Archaeology ofNihoa and Necker Islands, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 53).
"marae" rather than "heiau", the word used by native Hawaiians finding 9 of the 32 marae aligned with the rising winter solstice for the shrines found on the main islands. After Emory surveyed (and the setting summer solstice) strongly suggests that these Nihoa, he turned his attention to Necker and was surprised to orientations were no accident: the ancient Polynesians must find that despite the island's much smaller area, there were an have had a reason, practical or ritual, for constructing these sol astonishingly large number ofmarae: 34. In his report, he shows stitially aligned marae. Furthermore, they may well have taken . plans for all but two of these. Almost all are shown as rectan advantage of the east-west ridge to build marae aligned with the gles-only one has a rounded side-and most are situated well rising (and setting) equinoctial sun. back from the shore or the island cliffs. Emory comments that Why, then, were there so many astronomically oriented all but five of the marae are comprised of " ...a long, narrow, rectangular platform which faces on a paved rectangular terrace. 8 Along the full length of the rear of the platform an odd number 7 NECKER ISLAND MARAE of upright slabs which average 2.5 feet in height ... are set at equal intervals." (Emory 1928). 6 D Why is it that such a large number of marae are crowded 5 E on to tiny Necker and only two on the larger Nihoa? When one 4 considers Emory's map of the island (Figure 2), one quickly 3 notes that many of the marae lie almost parallel to one another. J Emory carefully indicated their orientations and remarked that 2 "Lt. Brown of the Coast and Geodetic Survey checked and cor rected the plans". Demonstrating these orientations objectively, Figure 3 presents a histogram of the orientations of the 32 ma rae; here the number of marae in each 5 degree interval ("bin") Azimuth of Back Side of Marae (degrees) of azimuth are shown. The azimuth measurements are of the back side-the side next to the row of uprights on the platform. Figure 3. The distribution in orientation (measuring from thc Thus, for example, the marae indicated by the vertical bar at 0 back side) ofthe Necker Island marae. degrees, No. 18, is aligned almost north-south. In the figure the letters J, E, and D indicate the azimuths of the rising sun at the marae on Necker? No where else in the Hawaiian Islands can be June solstice, the equinoxes, and the December solstice, respec found this many marae constructed with these special orienta tively. As can be seen, the marae show two preferred orienta tions (Liller 2000; see also Liller 1991). The answer may well tions: the first is east-west (azimuth 90 degrees), and the other be because Necker Island has a unique latitude: the island center with alignments very nearly matching that of the rising winter is located at latitude 23° 34.5'N meaning that in the year AD solstice sun. Because the island is dominated by a ridge that lies 1000, it was almost exactly at the latitude of the Tropic of Can roughly in an east-west direction orientation, it is easy to under cer, namely 23° 34.1'N. (According to the Astronomical Alma stand why four marae are oriented near azimuth 90 degrees. But nac published annually and jointly by the U.S. Naval and the
Rapa Nui Journal 104 Vol. 14 (4) December 2000 https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol14/iss4/1 2 Liller: Necker Island, Hawai'i
Royal Greenwich Observatories, the latitude of the Tropic of As for civilizations in other parts of the world, Broda Cancer changes slowly, decreasing by about I' every 128 years.) (2000) has written that "At the Tropic of Cancer...the swnmer This means that on the day of the summer solstice, June 21 ac solstice coincided with the zenith passage [of the sun]. There, cording to our modem calendar, the day that the sun reaches its the sun 'turns around' or 'stands still' on its apparent journey to most northerly point, the sun passed directly overhead as seen the north and back again to the south. Ancient Mesoamericans from Necker. Nihoa, farther south by a half degree, was not so were aware of this solar phenomenon at least since the ClaSsic well favored, but could the difference of that half degree-55 period [AD 200-900], because they built an important site at kilometers-have been significant to the ancient Polynesians? Alta Vista (latitude 23° 28.8' N), in the modem state of Zacate Quite possibly. cas". A detailed study ofthis site had been made by Aveni, Har Would the early inhabitants of Necker have realized that tung and Kelley (1982), and they concluded that observations of the sun was directly overhead on what we call June 21 51? On that the solstices and the equinoxes were made at this "sun temple". day when the sun was highest in the sky, a vertical stick would They further noted that Alta Vista was a distant outpost, some have cast no shadow, and on all other days of the year at high 400 km north of the great sacred center at Teotihuacan. Broda noon, with the sun father south in the sky, this same stick would states that for this reason, "Alta Vista.. .is one of the most enig have cast its shadow to the north. On Nihoa a vertical stick matic and appealing archaeological sites ofMexico." standing 57 inches tall would have cast a half-inch long shadow There are of course many other lands located at these spe st southward on June 21 . Twelve days before and again 12 days cial Tropic latitudes - in Africa, the Middle East, India, China, after June 21, no shadow would have been seen as the sun Australia and South America. Perhaps other sites exist whose passed overhead. A similar situation would have occurred on all primary purpose was to make note of the noontime passage of the main islands of Hawaii south of the Tropic of Cancer: solar the sun on the day it arrived at the solstice. They should be re zenith passage would have taken place twice a year. searched. Meanwhile, I should think that since it has been 76 Why might have a location on the Tropic of Cancer been years since Emory visited Necker, a new more exhaustive ar so important to the early inhabitants? From a strictly calendric chaeological study should be made of this fascinating little is point of view, knowing that the sun was directly overhead and land that was once perched on the Tropic ofCancer. on only one day of the year--on the first day of what we call summer -was a simple and precise way of noting the passage of REFERENCES a year. But surely there must have been profound mythological and ritualistic reasons. To give one example, an Hawaiian myth At/as ofHawaii, 2nd ed. Published by the Department ofGeog related by Chauvin (2000) " ...claims that when the sun passes raphy, University of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii through Hawaii's zenith...and the bodies become 'shadowless', Press, Honolulu, 1983. the strength of the sun passes into its worshipper, and the time is Aveni, A.F., H. Hartung, and C. Kelley. 1982. Alta Vista called ka la i la 1010 (the hour of triumph, or, literally, the sun (Chalchihuites), astronomical implications of a Mesoameri on the brain)." Perhaps this concept arrived with the voyagers can ceremonial outpost at the Tropic of Cancer. American who came from Tahiti or the Marquesas. Antiquity 47: 316-335. No other Polynesian islands are located close to the Tropic Broda, J. 2000. Mesoamerican astronomy and the ritual calen of Cancer, but in the southern hemisphere, there are several is dar. Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non lands near the corresponding Tropic of Capricorn. In the Aus Western Astronomy. Helaine Selin, ed. 225-267. Kluwer trals, Tubua'i was located only 23 km north ofthis circle of lati Acad. Publishers, Dordrecht. . tude in AD 1000, and four other islands including Ra'ivavae Chauvin, M. E. 2000. Useful and conceptual astronomy in an were within 350 km. Verin (1969) reported six marae on Tu cient Hawaii. Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of bua'i, and he says that four show alignment with the December Non-Western Astronomy. Helaine Selin, ed.:91-125. Klu solstice sunset. According to Edwards (1992), the probability of wer Acad. Publishers, Dordrecht. this happening totally by chance is about one in 7,700, but he Edwards, E. 1992. Archaeological survey of the Island of also notes that the marae are near a coastline which has "the Ra'ivavae, Austral Islands, French Polynesia. Unpublished same solstice direction". In the'same publication Edwards re manuscript. ported that he had recorded 92 marae on Ra'ivavae, and of the Emory, K. 1928. The archaeology ofNihoa and Necker Islands. 79 that he was able to measure, 11 (14 %) are astronomically B.P. Bishop Museum Bulletin No.53. Honolulu. oriented. No where in the Society Islands to the north are so Liller, W. 1991. Astronomical orientations in Polynesia. Rapa many marae found that are so oriented. Again we have evidence Nui Journal, 5:24-25. for unusual astronomical activity on an island situated near a Liller, W. 2000. Ancient astronomical monuments in Polynesia. Tropic latitude. Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western A thousand years ago Pitcairn was approximately 120 km Astronomy. Helaine Selin, ed.:127-159. Kluwer Acad. Pub south of the Tropic of Capricorn, while the neighboring islands lishers, Dordrecht. of Henderson and Ducie are even closer. However, none of the Verin, P.1969. L'ancienne civilisation de Rurutu. Asian and Pa scant remains ofancient civilizations found on these islands give cific Archaeology, Series 5, Paris: O.R.S.T.O.M. us any clues.
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